Retaining ring having interacting tabs and slot to prevent expansion



United States Patent O RETAINING RING HAVING INTERACTNG TABS AND SLGT TOPREVENT EXPANSION Harry M. Bramberry, Kirkwood, and Paul A. Lux,I'Jniversity City, Mo., assignors to Ramsey Corporation, St. Louis, Mo.,a corporation of Ohio Filed June 4, 1958, Ser. No. 739,863

6 Claims. (Cl. 858.8)

This invention relates to improvements in retaining rings. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to retaining rings provided withmeans to prevent the opening of the ring due to centrifugal force and toprevent collapse of the ring under pressure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a retaining ring for holdingparts, such as shafts and housings, in assembled relation, which ring iscapable of taking a thrust-load and is provided with means to preventthe deformation of the ring in use.

A further object is to provide a retaining ring the adjacent coils ofwhich are provided with a slot and a tab respectively which cooperate toprevent deformation of the ring and which may further serve tofacilitate installation or removal of the ring.

While the novel and distinctive features of the invention areparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, a more expositorytreatment of the invention, in principle and in detail, together withadditional objects and advantages thereof, is afforded by the followingdescription and accompanying drawing in which like reference characters`are used to refer to like parts throughout and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of one embodiment of the retaining ring of thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line lI-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III- III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the left side of the retainingring shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the retaining ring of Figure lexternally mounted on a shaft.

Figure 6 is a plan view of another embodiment of the retaining ring ofthe present invention.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the ring of Figure 6 interiorlymounted on a shaft or in a housing.

Turning now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure l thereof,there is shown a retaining ring 10 which may, for example, convenientlybe formed from a continuous winding of spring steel as a two-coil helixin true circular shape. Thus, as may be best seen in Figures 1 and 4,the ring 10 consists of a rst or upper coil 11 and a second or lowercoil 12 connected continuously to the first coil by `an intermediate orset portion 13.

The retaining ring 10 of Figure 4 is adapted to be seated in a groovesuch as the groove 21 externally formed on a shaft 22 as shown by way ofexample in Figure 5. In placing the ring into the groove, the two coilsare, of course, extended by spring action to clear the outer diameter ofthe shaft and contract to seat in groove 21. In order to facilitate theremoval of the ring from the groove, slots and 16 may, if desired, beprovided in end portions 11a and 12a, respectively, in accordance withthe teaching in U.S. Patent No. 2,450,425, issued to F. D. Frisby onOctober 5, 1948. These grooves 15 and 16 are adapted to receive a tool,such as a screwdriver, to force the ring from the groove. It will ofcourse be understood that the provision of these ring removal slots doesnot form a part of -the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention an additional slot 18 isprovided in the coil 12 of ring 10 and a further slot 20 is provided inthe coil 11 of ring 10. Tabs 17 and 19 are formed from the material ofcoils 11 and 12 respectively and are positioned to protrude into theslots 18 and 20 as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. 'I'his slot and tabarrangement is provided to prevent deformations of the retaining ringsuch as expansion of the ring by the centrifugal force resulting fromthe rotation of shaft 22. 1t will be apparent that any such tendency ofthe ring to expand will be prevented by abutment of the end of the tabagainst the end of the slot after a Predetermined limited amount ofmovement. Thus, if the ring tends to expand the end 17a of tab 17 willeventually abut against the end 18a of slot 18 and similarly the end 19aof tab 19 will abut against the end 20a of slot 20. The relativedimension of the tab and slot may be adjusted to permit any desiredtolerance.

It has been found that the most effective position for the tab and slotarrangement is on a diameter such as the diameter 14b of the ring 10which lies perpendicular to a diameter such as the diameter 14a of ring10 which passes through the gap of the ring formed between the end 11aand 12a as indicated by the bracket 14 in Figure l.

Although the ring 10 of Figure 1 has been illustrated as being of theexternal type suitable for seating in an external groove as shown inFigure 5, it will, of course, be understood that the principles of thepresent invention may also be applied to an internal type ring suitablefor seating in an internal groove as shown in Figure 7. Thus, in Figure7, a ring 30 is shown seated in an internal groove 38 of a hollow shaft`or housing 37. Ring 3i) is shown in plan in Figure 6 and is generallysimilar to the ring 10 shown in Figure l. In the ring 30, however, itwill be noted that the deformation preventing tab and slot arrangementhas been positioned in the ends 31 `and 32 respectively of the two coilsof the ring 30 generally in the position occupied by the removal toolslots 15 and 16 of the ring 10 of Figure l. By this arrangement, slot 33in the end 31 and slot 35 in the end 32 serve both the functions ofbeing adapted to receive a removal tool such as a screw driver forextending the ring and the function of receiving the tabs 34 and 36respectively to prevent deformation of the ring such as collapse due topressure applied thereto `from the shaft 37. It will, of course, beunderstood that the slot and tab arrangement 33 and 34 and 35 and 36respectively of Figure 6 are the same in cross section as those shownfor ring 10 in Figures 2 and 3 and function in the same manner. Theembodiment of Figure 6 differs from that of Figure l primarily in thepositioning of the tab and slot pairs so that they may serve both thefunction of l preventing ring deformation and of facilitating n'ngremoval.

While the principles of the invention have now been made clear, therewill be immediately obw'ous to those skilled in the art manymodiiications in structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements andcomponents used in the practice of the invention and otherwise, whichare particularly adapted for specific environments and operatingrequirements without departing from those principles. The appendedclaims are therefore intended to cover and embrace any suchmodifications within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A retaining ring to carry the axial thrust of a relatively rotatablemember and to be mounted in a corresponding annular groove of acylindrical member, said ring comprising a helix of nearly two similarand axially en gaged turns forming coils of metal strip whose wldth`extends radially and is at least several times its axially extendingthickness, the ends of the two coils being in peripherallyspacedrelation to provide a ring of `only two axially engaged stripthicknesses, at least one slot having its length extending lalong theperipheral length oi, and through the thickness of, a iirst of saidcoils, and a corresponding integral tab bent at only a shallow angle toextend axially from the width of the second of said coils into saidcorresponding slot, and with only its end engaging the end of said slot,to prevent radial deformation of saidV ring under service loads and toaiord a tool engaging means for installation or removal of saidretaining ring.

2. A relatively rotatively thrust supporting and retaining ring to bemounted in a corresponding annular groove of a cylindrical member,comprising a helix of slightly less than two complete and similar,axially engaged turns of strip whose axially extending thickness is muchless than its radially extending width, at least one slot through thethickness of, and extending along the peripheral length of, one of saidturns, Vand a corresponding, integral tab protruding axiallyrby lessthan its thickness from the width of a portion of the otherof said turnsimmediately adjacent said slot, said tab having its end extending intosaid corresponding slot to engage the end thereof to thereby compresssaid tab along its peripheral length and prevent radialdeformation ofsaid ring from service loads.

3. An axial and relatively rotatable thrust supporting, retaining ringto be installed in a corresponding groove in a cylindrical member,comprising nearly two complete, similar, and axially engaging coils of acontinuous helical winding from metal strip whose width extends radiallyand is at least several times its axially extending thickness, the endsof the said coils lying within the outerv and inner radial margins ofthe ring and being in peripherally' spaced relation to each other. toform a gap therebetween,

. a iirst peripherally extending slot in said first coil, a second,peripherally .extending slot in said second coil, a corresponding iirstintegral tab extending axially from said second coil and a correspondingsecond integral tab extending axially from said rfirst coil, said slotsand tabs each lying on a diameter of said ring which is perpendicular toa diameter which extends through said gap of said ring, said Vfirst tabprotruding into said second slot by less than its thickness and saidsecond tab protruding into said iirst slot by less than its thickns toVprevent radially outward expansion of said ring in service by peripheralengagements of the free ends of said tabs with the corresponding ends ofsaid slots.

4. A thrust carrying, retaining ring to be mounted in a correspondinggroove of a cylindrical member, cornprising nearly two similar, annularcoils of a continuous helix of strip metal whose radially extendingwidth is at least several times as great as its `axially extendingthickness, said coils being in engagement and having their Vends inspaced relation to each other, a trst slot near the end of said rst coil`and a second slot near the end of said second coil, a iirst tab on saidsecond coil and a second tab on said rst coil, said iirst tab being bentout by less than its thickness to protrude into said first slot with itsfree end engaging the corresponding end of said rst slot and said secondtab being bent out by less than its thickness to protrude into saidsecond slot with its free end engaging the corresponding end of saidsecond slot to prevent radially inward deformation of said ring in useand also to permit reception of tools in both said slots for openingsaid ring for removal.

5. A thrust carrying, retaining'ring to be installed in a correspondingannular groove in a cylindrical member, comprising a continuous helix ofstrip metal having slightly less than two engaging coils, the ends ofthe coils being in space relation to each other to form a gap, a tirstand peripherally extending slot ,in said rst coil and a secondperipherally extending slot in said second coil, a first andperipherally expandingtab on said second coil and a second andperipherally extending tab on said rst coil, said iirst and second slotsandV said iirst and second tabs each lying on a diameter of said ringwhich is perpendicular to a diameter of said ring which passes throughsaid gap, said first tab protruding into said first slot by an amountnot greater than its thickness and said second tab protruding into saidsecond slot by an amount not greater than its thickness wherebyrthe freeends of said tabs engage corresponding ends of said slots to preventradially outward deformation of said ring by centrigugal force in use, athird slot near said end of said iirst coil and a fourth slot near saidend of said second coil, said third and fourth slots`being adapted toreceive a tool for opening said ring.

6. A thrust carrying, retaining ring to be installed in a correspondinggroove of a cylindrical member cornprising a continuous helix of nearlytwo complete turns of spring steelstrip, said turns being in engagementand their ends beingrin spaced relation to form a gap therebetween, afirst peripherally extending slot in .said iirst turn and a secondperipherally extending slot in said second turn, a corresponding iirsttab upon said second turn and a corresponding second tab on said iirstturn, said tabs being formed from a portion of the spring steel materialof-said coils respectively, said iirst tab being bent out to protrudeinto said first slot by an amount approximately equal to its thicknessand said second tab being bent out to protrude into said second slot byan amount approximately equal to its thickness whereby only the freeends of said tabs engage the corresponding ends of said slots to preventradial deformation of said ring 1n use.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS172,982 Earle Feb. 1, 1876 2,164,109 Guiducci June 27, 1939 2,450,425Frisby Oct. 5, 1948 2,660,913 Frisby Dec. 1, 1953

